Massive Floats Made with Thousands of Colorful Dahlias

The annual Bloemencorso Zundert event is the largest flower parade in the world. It is an annual parade that takes place on the first Sunday of September in Zundert, a town located in Noord Brabant, the Netherlands. It is the social event of the city and brings all ages together in a year long endeavor to create the finest, most impressive float around town, using only one single kind of flower–dahlias.

Hundreds of builders get together to construct the jaw-dropping creations. The older members are generally responsible for growing the flowers during the year, while the younger members often take the lead on the actual manual labor to construct the float in the fall. Twenty different groups, called hamlets, participate in the friendly competition, hoping to be declared by a professional jury as the creator of the most beautiful float of the year.

Each design is constructed out of steel wire, cardboard, papier-mch, and of course, thousands of flowers that cover the foundation of the structure. Due to the fragile nature of the flowers, they can only be applied to the float on the weekend before the event, so hundreds of team members will work furiously and frantically through the nights to ensure that their designs are completed in time to show them off to the town. Check out some of these massive and complex designs that have graced the streets of Zundert during the annual festivities.

Like many body art studios, Seattle-based henna company Sarahenna helps people celebrate special occasions. From wedding looks to embellished baby bumps, the talented team—led by founder Sarah Walters—helps clients mark major milestones with their artistic practice. What sets Sarahenna apart from the rest, however, is their dedication to helping others. In particular, they offer “henna crowns” to women who have experienced hair loss due to chemotherapy.

Sweden’s iconic ICEHOTEL has recently completed a project that will allow it to remain open year-round. Located 125 miles north of the Arctic Circle, the ICEHOTEL has been in operation seasonally since 1989. The hotel is created entirely from snow and ice, and includes 20 guest suites, a bar, and art gallery.